TheWeasle UFC 268's and Canelo vs Plant's numbers have come out and they are closer than we expected. Does this show that MMA has overtaken the combat sports world? This content is protected
Because no one gives a **** about Caleb Plant. It has nothing to do with Canelo. Having a dance partner someone actually knows matters.
Idk if it’s that big a a deal. Ufc has a great fight night while Canelo is fighting someone nobody even knows or cares about and boxing still did better.
No one at Super Middleweight or Light Heavyweight currently. Even Benavidez and Beterbiev matches that the hardcores want to see, most casuals have never heard of them. So Canelo really is between a rock and a hard place at the moment in terms of box office.
I'm actually surprised the Canelo Plant PPV did 800k buys because it was **** poor as PPVs go. UFC put on better PPVs but eventually they'll find they can no longer keep milking the fighters who continously lose and become out of date. I think boxing could be ''dying'' according to MMA fans for the next 20 years but the sport will always create new stars and 2 or 3 will break the mould and become huge stars. UFC gets destroyed by WWE in the regular tv ratings and WWE is having it's lowest tv ratings ever. PPV numbers don't actually tell the entire story of what the actual landscape looks like. It's also a bit more complex than social media popularity, too. UFC will always be at risk vs boxing because it's a company. MMA is synonymous with UFC. UFC could go under or get sold on the cheap in the future if the television companies want deals for a much lesser price. Where's the new Conor McGregor who's now barely hanging onto gatekeeper status with the losses he has. I think McGregor was more manufactured than a true geniune talent in hindsight. Whereas you can hate on Canelo but his popularity is less volatile because it's based on his talent rather than manufactured hype. I think if promoters worked together and dropped their egos you could see much better boxing PPV cards because the talent and quality is there in abundance. Whereas relative to the sport in UFC there's a much smaller swimming pool of talent. I think it's better to have quality over quantity in terms of PPV undercards. I look at boxing a bit like bitcoin currently is as it can get it's ass kicked but it will somehow bounce back every time. Dana White is no genius when it comes to matchmaking. I think most people on this forum could do a better job consistently matchmaking fights in the UFC. I don't think UFC has really any true influence on boxing's popularity overall. I think that's more down to forces working within the sport and how society has changed over time. I was hyped for Canelo vs Plant and Usman vs Covington II but overall the UFC card dissapointed me. The Gaethje vs Chandler fight was the only enjoyable fight that night for me and that was really two journeyman level talents masquerading as world title challengers. It was more like a bar brawl than a proper skilled mma fight. Endeavor paid too much for UFC and i think Conor McGregor had the main influence on the purchase. I think Conor is the peak of popularity for UFC if you go by statistics. UFC will be viewed similarly to WWE in terms of television deals in the future. If boxing was under one company like UFC then if i was a big company looking to acquire the business i would look at it more methodically with a long term approach. I think only one name can really get upwards of 1.5 million PPV buys at the moment and that's McGregor. I think his time is coming to an end and i can see a nosedive occuring in the future. I don't think boxing will die unless there was a total ban on the sport. I think the same goes for mma. They're both niche sports at the end of the day so i think arguing over who's more popular is a bit of a moot point.
700k is strong for MMA. It seens to be gaining popularity. I doubt it ever surpasses the top tier boxers though. 800k fot Canelo- Plant is pretty good given Plants a nobody.
I don't believe any of the UFC PPV numbers, I'm calling BS on all of them. Around 2006 - 2009 UFC was huge, I will give them that. Bars around here were selling out for UFC PPV fights, jiu jitsu schools were opening up, rednecks had "tapout" shirts and stickers, affliction jeans. It was starting to really look like UFC might take over boxing, but it peaked in that era and fell hard. They no longer show most UFC PPV at bars here anymore, unless mcgregor is fighting. All those jiu jitsu schools closed, but the boxing gyms are more busy than ever. Those clothing brands folded. It was a fad. Most of those UFC guys are now trying to box or get a payday with jake paul, they are all jumping ship.
I think the way they get the PPV numbers for UFC PPV events is more disingenuous than actually legitimate. Dana White is a dishonest hypocrite with a huge ego.
His own mother disowned him for being a POS. Also they have to pay ESPN to cover UFC, otherwise it would never make the network. I don't trust the PPV numbers at all, or the fighter pay, or any of it. The old owners of UFC were the fertitta brothers who are mobbed up sicilians from vegas.
No. It does not. UFC isn’t a new up and coming thing anymore. It’s not the early 2000 or late 90s era. They win some they lose some. If anything I think their momentum stalled a bit in the last while but maybe the pandemic helped since they were the only show in town. Having said all that, it does put boxing on notice. Boxing fans have been complaining for decades! The sport does need a shake up if you asked me. Hell, I laughed when PBC wanted to make their own belt… but now I’m almost hoping they do! **** the WBC, IBF, WBA and even you WBO.
